As a relatively new parent, I have to cringe a little bit when other parents ask me certain questions about parenting. Specifically, when they ask me how I am going to approach “potty training” — that term just puts me into a bit of upset. I have yet to find any person who can give me a solid reason why a silly childish term had to be created when a real term — toilet — was already there. In Florida, the equivalent of the “potty training” substitution is happening on the House floor. State representative Scott Randolph, in part of his argument against union dues being deducted from the paychecks of state employees, used the word “uterus” — and apparently it upset a few people in the House. Randolph was asked to kindly not discuss body parts while on the floor of the House.
Except it wasn’t just body parts that were being discussed on the House floor. I get the distinct notion that if Randolph had been talking about the effect of the bill on lower back pain, there would have been no problem. Had he even mentioned a testicular issue, I imagine that there would not have been so much as a whimper of protest. But since he dared to utter the name of the UTERUS on the holy White Man House Floor, it was icky and gross and not something people wanted to hear.
This is exactly why women still struggle with issues of reproductive rights and Planned Parenthood regularly must do fiscal outreach in order to stay afloat. When men’s organs are treated with respect but female body organs are just the gross things about which we do not wish to hear on the House Floor, what hope do women possibly have to get the respect they are due?
It is no wonder that the Republican party came in on the ticket to create jobs and ended up fighting to make abortion illegal and to reclassify rape to mean whatever it is they want it to be — and to have abortion audits to make sure that federal funds are being used appropriately.
When a scientific term for a part of a woman’s body becomes a four letter word, we have to wonder if it is possible to turn around this bus of madness on which we seem to be riding and head back to a little bit of sanity.
It’s all such a silly distraction. One hand does the dirty work while the other hand fans the face from passion out due to having “the vapors.” The whole uterus debate is the pinnacle of where juvenile behavior meets faked puritanical sermonizing.
That’s right, David. Tell us about how wrong it is to say Uterus while meeting and seducing people in the airport. Because that makes sense somehow? :/